Curse Of The Ninetails
by The-Writing-Raichu
Summary: Izaak knew running away from home was dangerous, but for the first time in his life he felt like he was in control. -This is a Transformation Story-


Curse of the Ninetales

Dead leaves swirled about Izaak's muddy shoes as he stood outside the gate, unable to cross the threshold into the prison he used to call a home. Paint peeled off the face of the walls, the once proud wooden door was worn beyond repair from the years of neglect and the windows were so grimy that the sun could never hope to pierce the thick layer of dirt, even on the brightest of days.

The heavens opened up with rain as he pushed the cold steel gate open and stepped inside the garden. His school uniform matched the grey colour of the rainclouds which loomed overhead and the overgrown lawn stirred in the strengthening wind as he walked along the path towards his home.

Once he reached the door he shoved it with his shoulder, but it was locked. He licked his chapped lips which were the same pale blue as his eyes, they must have gotten tired of waiting for me, he thought. He fished the key out from his pocket and, after some forcing, unlocked the latch. Stepping inside he closed it behind him, trying his best not to make any noise.

The hallway was empty, only the hollow sound of ticking coming from a white plastic clock disturbed the stone-cold silence. The smell of dust clung to the air in dense pockets and the floorboards were exposed in the dim light that managed to get through a single, small window. Even the staircase, which took up half the length of the hallway, was bear of any covering or decorations.

He took off his shoes, placing them in the corner of the room and made his way towards the stairs but stopped when he caught a glimpse of the kitchen door, further down the hall.

Before he could react, the kitchen door began to open. In a blind panic Izaak bolted for the stairs but didn't make it past the second step before he lost his balance and came crashing down.

His mother was by his side by the time he had turned round. Wrapped about her was a yellow dressing gown and on her feet she wore SpongeBob socks, which Izaak had got for her last Christmas.

When she smiled at him, he couldn't help but smile back. There was something about his mother which always brought light, even into the darkest of rooms. Maybe it had something to do with the strong scent of her tropical shampoo, or maybe it was more to do with her shoulder length auburn hair and how it would reflect the smallest amount of light, amplifying it. Whatever it was, he was happy to see her.

His knees had turned a tender red from their collision with the stairs and he sat rubbing them, trying to ease the pain. In silence, his mother knelt down in front of him and planted two kisses on both his knees.

"Better?" She asked.

He nodded.

The seconds ticked away and Izaak found himself looking past his mother's smile, into her tired, bloodshot eyes, a side effect of too many late nights. His stomach churned painfully at the thought of his mother, lying awake, her ability to sleep blocked by fear. He had to turn away when he noticed the dark shadows under her eyes, which had become considerably blacker since this morning when he last saw her.

"You're late, what took you so long to come home today?"

He tried not to make eye contact, keeping his view of the floor beneath his feet, but his eyes flicked over towards his shoes, still coated in mud and his mother followed his gaze.

"You came home the forest way? I asked you not to go that way." She said, more concerned than angry. "You know it's too dangerous. What would your father say if he found out?"

"He's not my father!" shouted Izaak, but instantly regretted his outburst when his mother turned away from him. "Sorry," he said quickly. "I didn't mean to shout."

"Maybe you should just go to your room, before you end up waking him."

"Can we just run away?" He asked, keeping his voice low. "We could go somewhere we don't have to worry about, _him_."

"Not now dear."

"Why not, why can't we just go? I know you don't like it here. What if we just-"

"Izaak please! Not now."

A figure stepped into the gap of the kitchen door and the hall seemed to grow colder as the outline of the man, that Izaak use to call his father lingered in the doorway, blocking the grubby lamplight that shined behind him like a moon in a solar eclipse.

Icy sweat ran down Izaak's back as the man stood there, watching him with no expression and heavy eyes.

Izaak's mother took hold of his arm and stood up. Once they were both standing she began to lead him upstairs and away from the man. When he and his mother reached the top of the stairs she released her grip.

"I'll bring your food later" she said, gesturing towards his bedroom.

Izaak ran to his room and slammed the door behind him, _fighting_ back tears as he leaned against the door. He hated that man, his hands would clench into fists at the very thought of him. He wiped his eyes with the back of his sleeve and pulled himself away from the door.

His bedroom was a small room with one window on the furthest wall, a single bed on one side and a chest of draws on the other. He rushed over to his favourite toy, which sat on top of the draws, and embraced it. The toy was a small plush doll of the fox Pokémon Vulpix. It smiled at Izaak with its wide grin and its eyes glistened with joy at the sight of his return. He smiled at the touch of its soft, orange fur against his cheek, but his smile was not to last.

He turned to his bed and pulled back the plain white blanket, then climbed onto the mattress and dragged the blanket back over him, making sure it covered him completely before hugging Vulpix close.

Izaak hated this part of the day, the waiting drove him mad. He would curl up into a ball and squeeze his legs tight against his chest as he waited for the war to start between his mother and the man he used to call his father, a war which he had to endure every day of his life. A war filled of vile words and angry shouts in place of bullets and soldiers and guns, a war which was responsible for ripping his small family apart.

It raged on for what seemed like hours, it was low at first, muffled voices that were hard to understand, but it wasn't long before his parents became louder and their words harsher.

He listened to the rhythmic attack of the rain as it rang against his rusting window and a crack of lightning scared the sky with light, followed closely by the low roar of thunder.

He tried to sleep, but the noise from downstairs and outside made it impossible. So, with a sigh, he pushed his blanket off and sat up. The sun had slipped away under the horizon unnoticed and without its presence the room was left in darkness, making it impossible to see or make out anything in the jungle of shadows and silver outlines that tangled and twisted inside his room.

Izaak reached under the bed and began to pad around, feeling for a torch which he had for just such an occasion. Once he found it, he flicked the switch and the blaze of light that followed blinded him for a few seconds while his eyes tried to adjust. Able to see again, he reached under his pillow and pulled out a shiny, original red, Pokémon Pokédex.

This Pokédex had everything a boy needed to take his mind off the harsh reality of the world around him. All one hundred and fifty one of first generation Pokémon waited to be found with just a click of a button. His eyes lit up like crystals as he opened the Pokédex and the eight-bit screen came alive with its dim white glow. It had games, it had sounds and it even had colour, but most importantly, it had his favourite Pokémon.

He typed zero three seven into the keypad and a picture of a bouncing Vulpix popped on screen with a few words of small back text under the Pokémon's feet. Izaak read the text in his head, putting on the same voice as the Pokédex in the cartoons.

_Vulpix, the fox type Pokémon. When it is born, it has just one snow-white tail. The tail splits from its tip as it grows older. _

Like his toy, the Vulpix on screen had the same orange coloured fur as well as six tails that curled at the tips. He picked up the toy and held it close to his face. Its eyes were so full of life he could have sworn that it were real.

"Are you alive?" He asked, brushing its soft fur with his fingers. "I could really use a friend right now."

He smirked when he was met with silence from the toy. It was a long shot, but worth a try.

Defeated and tired Izaak rested his head on the pillow, but as soon as his skin touched the cold fabric, the voices from downstairs invaded his silence.

"All I'm asking for is that you be more involved with him" said the voice of his mother. "Take him to the park, play football with him. Just picking him up from school would be something. Be a father for once."

Izaak's fingers dug into the quilt as he listened. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Did she even consider asking him if he wanted to be forced to spend _quality time_ with that man, what was she thinking?

"We're at the end of our rope" said mother again. "The only reason we haven't split up yet is because of Izaak. He needs a father, so if you can't step up to the role, it's over."

The deep chuckle that followed vibrated off every wall in the house and sent chills down Izaak's spine.

"You want to play that game then fine" said the male voice as his heavy footsteps paced about the kitchen. "First off, drop the act. The only reason you haven't left yet is because of the money in my name. You know as well as I do this has nothing to do with the boy and secondly, were are you going to go? You have no money and no job.

"You can't look after yourself let alone the boy and don't expect any help of me either, because I know, you'll come crawling back, begging me to take you in."

Izaak listened for his mother response but, nothing came, and the house once again had fallen silent.

He rubbed at his eyes as tears flowed freely down his cheek. The man's words rang in his head like a wasp stuck in a glass jar and the longer they were in there the more he believe they were true. As much as Izaak hated to admit it, he could see no other reason why his mother hadn't left yet.

In a blind rage he snatched up the helpless Pokédex and held it up over his head. He wanted to throw it as hard as he could, he wanted so badly to smash it into pieces just to get rid of his anger, but deep down he knew it wouldn't help so, he let it slip out of his hand and fall harmlessly into the bed.

When his gaze wondered over to the Pokédex he noticed that the picture on the eight-bit screen had been replaced. The image of the Vulpix had changed into a luxurious golden-white fox that was surrounded by a ring of ghostly fire and had nine gold tipped tails. He looked down at the text underneath and read.

_Ninetales, the evolve form of Vulpix. Very smart and very vengeful. Grabbing one of its many tails could result in a thousand year curse. It is said that the curse will turn you into a Pokémon._

His heart started to pound and his mind set ablaze as a plan formed in his head. It was simple, all he had to do was find a Ninetales and he could live the rest of his life as a Pokémon. A smile appeared on his lips from the thought, all the fun he could have with not a care in the world. No school, no homework, and best of all, no being forced to spend time with a fake father. That was all the drive he needed.

He jumped off his bed, no longer tired, and moved towards the window to get a look outside. Everything in the front garden was concealed in thick shadows and the only source of light came from the streetlights that lined the road, casting all that stood beneath them in a honey glow.

Izaak also noticed that rain had reduced to a steady drizzle. If he was going to run away this would be the perfect time, while the storm had eased up.

It didn't take him long to grab some clothes as well as the Pokédex and Vulpix. Everything in hand, he placed them into an army patterned rucksack that was under his bed and zipped it up.

He slung the rucksack over his shoulder and, torch in hand, he crept out of his bedroom. Like before, the house was silent, except for the lonely clock that ticked away on the wall. He checked over the landing banister before heading downstairs and into the empty hallway. Tiptoeing his way to the corner where his shoes were waiting and after putting them on, he unlocked the front door and gently opened it.

The instant chill washed over him like the breath of a giant. Then he slipped into the cold open air and closed the door behind him.

Izaak knew running away from home was dangerous, but for the first time in his life he felt like he was in control. He took a deep breath of the sweet scented night air and savoured his first taste of freedom.

He felt so alive at that moment, even the cold drizzle of rain found it hard to dampen his spirits. His head turned to the sky and he spotted the moon through a gap in the dense blankets of clouds. He almost considered howling at the glimmering orb, but he decided against it.

Instead he tightened his grip on his rucksack and sprinted away from his house, jumping clean over the front gate with ease. Nothing could stop him now, he thought as he landed in the deserted street and raced over the empty road towards the direction of the forest.

The rows of houses and streetlamps and cars were blurs to Izaak as he blazed past them, finally coming to a stop when he caught his first glimpse of the forest edge where the road ended and the trees began.

Though he had walked through these trees many times on his way home from school, nothing about the forest seemed familiar in the unnaturally murky shadows that cloaked everything under the living canopy, but with his torch in hand he marched into the maze of trees in search of the fire Pokémon Ninetales.

An hour went by and in that time Izaak had tripped, stumbled and smashed into every rock, tree root and low hanging branch the forest had to offer, yet still no sign of the Ninetales showed itself.

He was taking refuge under a large oak tree as he nursed his fresh batch of bruises. Every one of his limbs burned with exhaustion and even though he felt like he was on fire, his body refused to stop shivering from the cold which was made worse by his sodden cloths that clung to his skin like moss on trees.

Pulling himself up from the floor, he wiped the rain from his eyes and carried on his search, but only took three steps before the torch began to flicker.

He watched helplessly as the light faded away and in its absence the darkness got thicker, not even the full moon could piece the shadows as the dense layer of leaves shrouded the forest floor, leaving Izaak standing in absolute blackness.

Dropping to his knees he dived into his rucksack and pulled out his toy Vulpix, embracing it tightly. Its soft, dry fur tickled his chin and was a welcomed change from the constant dampness he was forced to bare. He let out a long, weary sigh as his shivers began to lessen. He didn't feel alone anymore.

A lonely orb of blue light appeared from within the darkness, pushing it back with its pure glow. A will-o-wisp drifted towards Izaak and he instantly recognised the ghostly flame, as it was the same type of fire that surrounded the Ninetales in his Pokédex. This had to the sign he was looking for.

He felt its warmth as it hovered close to his face and he brought his hand up to touch the wisp but as soon as fingers got close it darted away from him. He wasn't about to let his only lead get away, so he quickly slung his rucksack onto his shoulder and trailed the will-o-wisp as it floated through the dark trees, making its way deeper into the forest.

He followed it in till they reached a large clearing with the biggest elm tree he had ever seen at its centre. Its roots were as thick as a telephone pole and its twisting branches stretched out over almost the entire grassland.

The wisp moved across the glade and under the branches of the elm tree, which acted like an umbrella to the constant downpour. The rainclouds made a halo around the tree allowing the moon's grace to peak through the opening like a pillar of light, which in turn coursed every single droplet to glisten with the stars that filled the night sky.

The will-o-wisp continued its advance and circled around the massive trunk then dived into a hidden hole between the roots and without thinking, Izaak jumped in after it.

He fell for a few seconds before landing on a soft surface, once again finding himself in complete darkness. He felt the floor and was surprised to find the ground didn't compose of dirt or rock, but instead it felt warm and loose as if he had landed on a dusty beach.

He caught a glimpse of the will-o-wisp hovering ahead of him, its glow revealing the stone walls of the tunnel. The wisp began to flickering wildly and quickened the pace, eager to reach whatever lay ahead. As they travelled deeper into the burrow Izaak noticed that the air started to become warm and dry.

The tunnel slowly became bigger and opened up further than the wisp's light could reveal. He could see the entrance to a chamber in the distance as well as a pale glow that stood out like a lighthouse on a moonless bay.

The will-o-wisp dashed off at the first glimpse of the light. Izaak ran after it but, as soon as the wisp entered the chamber it was absorbed and vanished from existence.

Izaak crept up to the mouth of the entrance, careful not to end up with the same fate as the wisp, and stole a quick look inside. His eyes lit up in awe of the beauty that was before him, a mighty queen upon her thrown the white fox Pokémon slept peacefully at the centre of the massive chamber.

He had done it, he had found a Ninetales. His body overflowed with glee and he had to resist the urge to jump for joy. After taking a few deep breaths to calm down and after waiting for his heart's thumping to return to normal, he entered the chamber.

The ceiling was like a shimmering lake of diamonds that glittered with the warm light that seemed to radiate from the Ninetales herself. To Izaak, it felt like he was still outside by the elm tree, gazing up at the star coated sky.

He took a step closer to Ninetales and felt the enormous pressure of her mind as it washed over him, sending blood rushing to his head and he had to drop his rucksack just to remain steady.

He continued his advance to the point where he could separate each of the nine tails that surrounded it. He got so close that he could hear her slow, genital breathing and appreciate the slightly raised platform she rested on, which was etched with glowing veins of gold that pulsed in time to his quickening heartbeat. Her fur was a coat of untouched morning snow on the last bright morning of winter and brought the same amount of excitement to Izaak as any child would feel on the eve of Christmas day.

This was it. His hand trembled uncontrollably as he edged it closer to one of the tails, his fingertips mere inches away. It was now or never.

"I wouldn't do that if I where you."

Izaak withdraw his hand sharply, expecting to see the Ninetales awake, but when he looked over, he could see that its eyes were still closed.

"What would mom say if you turned into a Pokémon?" The voice said, it sounded close.

Izaak lifted the toy Vulpix, which after all this time he still held on to, in till they were face to face. He stared into its still eyes and it stared right back. Once again he felt like there was life deep in the stuffing of his toy.

"Vulpix, is that you?" He asked it.

"Aren't you listening? If you turn into a Pokémon you won't be able to see her again, you won't be able to see anyone ever again."

He smirked. He had finally got Vulpix to talk and she was trying to stop him from becoming a Pokémon, didn't she see how much he wanted this.

"I thought you would understand more than anyone," said Izaak, feeling a little betrayed. "Once I turn into a Pokémon I can do whatever I want, I'll be happy again. And so what if I can't see my mother again, she never wanted to listen to me anyway, why should I care?"

"Because your mother loves you, abandoning her will not solve anything. There are other ways to be happy."

His jaw began to lock up and fresh tears began to form. What did a toy know about being happy? Vulpix didn't have a father who hated it or a mother who wouldn't listen. It was just a toy. It was always happy with its never moving smile.

"What do you know?" asked Izaak through clenched teeth. "If you would've just spoken to me when I needed you, I might not have to do this. You were my only friend and you were always there for me, but now I see you're just like everybody else."

Tears burnt at the edge of his eyes, but he wouldn't allow himself to cry. Now wasn't the time to be sad, he was so close to becoming a Pokémon and being free from his horrible life, now was a time to be happy and he wasn't going to let a toy ruined it.

"You don't understand me, no one dose, and once I become a Pokémon I won't need you. I won't need anyone."

He threw Vulpix and it landed with a soft thump on the sandy floor at the other end of the chamber. He didn't even glance back as he turned to face the Ninetales with the purpose of a boy about to finally take control of his life. This was what he wanted, this will fix everything. There was nothing left to keep him human so, with no regrets, he grabbed one of the white tails.

The Ninetales blood red eyes flashed open and Izaak couldn't help but tremble in its gaze. He tried to leave go of the tail but his muscles stiffened as a shockwave erupted from his hand and rippled over his skin like electricity through water. When the rippling ended his fingers reluctantly uncurled from around the tail and he backed away from the platform.

His skin was sweaty, his eyes watered and his mouth was dry. His whole body quaked and seared as if he was in the middle of an intense fire.

Then the agony came, as thin needles of deep red fur wormed its way out from under his skin, starting from the fingertips of his hands. He tore off his school jacket and shirt as creamy white fur began to grow on his chest. He went to scream but instead a cloud of black smoke vented from his mouth filling his nose, coursing him to chough violently and with each bout of choughs, flames would escape from his throat leaving behind the taste of smouldering coal.

He didn't want to go on, the pain was too much, but despite his wished the transformation continued as his nose and jaw pushed outwards, moulding into a short muzzle. His legs gave way, and he fell on the sandy floor as his bones began to shrink and stretch and snap. His legs shrunk, his arms shortened along with his body and his fingers moulded together to make paws. His spin drilled its way out and began to split at the end, all the while new skin covered fresh bone as well as soft, longer fur. Lastly were his ears as they started to form points and sprouted.

The sand underneath him sizzled with heat. Every inch of him burned and every part of him was in agony and with one last shudder; his alteration was complete, then black.

When Izaak woke he was still on the floor of the chamber, looking up at the diamond-covered roof. All the pain from his ordeal had gone, except for a tingle in his chest. Rolling over, he tried to get up but found that he was unbalanced and it took more than a few bumps before he could stand without trouble. Once steady he began to look himself over.

His new body was covered in red fur that had the same tint as expensive wine, except for his four small paws, which were a chocolate brown colour and his chest which was as white as a fresh ball of cotton wool. It was then that he realised what he was.

"I'm a Vulpix," he shouted as he sprung into the air.

He shook his long, pointed ears with glee and yelped at the first glance of his six curled tails as they wagged furiously at him. He couldn't contain himself any longer. Bursting into a frantic sprint he tripped and stumbled around the chamber, though he wasn't the most graceful of Vulpixs he quickly mastered the art of running with four legs and in no time at all he was jumping onto the cave walls then off them again with ease.

The change was more than his appearance. It also enhanced his senses opening up the world in a way he never even dreamed of. When he stopped to listen he could hear the deep roar of an underground river hidden beneath the cave floor directly underneath him and then above him he overheard the borrowing of an old mole in search for its next meal.

His sense of small had also been enhanced and with one sniff of the air he smelt the thick odour of his damp cloths which were on the other side of the chamber. This was all he could have hoped for and more, he felt his joy well up like a volcano and with a large breath he pointed his muzzle up at the roof and lunched torrents of blazing flame into the air.

Once his overload had exhausted itself he dropped to the floor in a daze as a toothy smile crept onto his muzzle. It felt as if a heavy burden had finally been taken from him, he was finally free, but while he lay there with a foolish grin etched across his face, the Ninetales watched.

"Are you finished?" asked the Ninetales.

Izaak shot up and his smile vanished from his face. He felt like an unguarded book as she inspected him with her red, unblinking eyes.

"I don't know what I find more bothersome. The fact you woke me up, or the fact that after I cursed you for doing so, you're overjoyed." The white fox glanced over to the mouth of the chamber, her ears twitching and then brought her gaze back on him.

"I want you to use your keen sense of hearing and listen at the entrance for me," She said, pointing with her paw to the mouth of the cave.

"I, I don't have to listen to you," said Izaak, meeting her gaze. "I let you curse me so I could become a Pokémon. It was the only way I could be free of my parents. It doesn't mean I have to do what you say. I'm free now."

The Ninetales burst out into laughter. "What nonsense. My curse did more than just change you into a Pokémon. It also made you my servant."

He looked at her confused.

"I'm guessing by your blank expression that no one told you that. Try not to think about it yet, for now why don't you just make both our lives easier and do what I say."

So he did as the Ninetales told him, dragging his paws and mumbling under his breath as he did. Sitting on his haunches at the entrance, he closed his eyes and listened. At first he heard very little, except the rhythmic beat of the fire in his chest. He let his senses take him further along the tunnel, passed the flavourless scent of roots and out under the elm tree.

The storm had gotten worse while he had been underground, the thunder and lightning battered the skies and the clash of the rain against the forest floor was like a hurricane in his ears. He strained as he listened for any other sounds and was just about to give up when he caught a whisper. It sounded like a person who was calling out his name, but with the blend of sounds made by the storm it was hard for him to hear who was calling him.

Then his heart sank as he realised who was yelling his name, looking for him in the pitch black of the forest, through the bite of the chilling rain and pasted the claws of the wind. It was his mother.

"I have to help her." he said but Ninetales appeared in front of him blocking his path.

"I can't allow you to do that. If you leave the boundaries of this den without me the outcome won't be pleasant. Do you believe your mother would welcome you back with open arms once she finds out you've been cursed? To her Pokémon don't exist. She'll likely run away from the first sight of you.

"You must understand. You desired to become a Pokémon and because of that you no longer have a mother, any friends or a home to return to. You'll have to stay here, while I think of what to do with you."

The Ninetales stepped over him and made her way back towards her thrown and as he followed behind her the pain in his heart only got heavier. It wasn't his fault his mother didn't listen to him, so why did he feel so bad?

He looked up at the Ninetales. He needed to fill the growing void left by his mother and the only to do that was to replace it with something else.

"Ninetales," He said, then waited for her to climb into her throne and turn to face him.

"What is it?"

He took a deep breath. "Please be my mother."

When the Ninetales didn't answer he continued. "I will be a good Vulpix, I promise. I will listen to you and we could play all the time. You could show me the forest and what it's like to be a Pokémon." His tails began to wiggle. "We will always be happy," I just know it.

There was a prolonged stillness in the chamber as Ninetales sat, staring at him. He felt more and more unsettled as the Pokémon kept her red eyes fixed on his. Izaak tried to hide from her gaze, but it was impossible to escape it.

"No."

His heart sank. He felt like that one word had been sharpened into a spear and plunged through his chest, and at that moment he wished it had.

"Why would I be your mother when you don't love the one you have, the mother that is out there right now risking her life to find you? Why would I take on a child who only has thoughts for himself?"

"B, but I do love my mother."

"Liar!" Ninetales roared, sending Izaak scarring away from her. "If you loved her you wouldn't have had to ask me to replace her, you would've asked me to save her. You've abandoned her and now you must face the consequences."

The Ninetales body started to shimmer and the light began to fade as if a cloud was moving in front of the sun.

"Wait, what's going on? Where are you going?" Said Izaak, fear growing in his voice.

"I need to go somewhere I won't be disturbed by some troublesome human child. You will just have to wait here in till I come back."

"But how long will that be?"

"I don't know," she said, her body growing more and more transparent. "About a thousand years."

With that the Ninetales vanished in a glowing cloud of vapour, leaving Izaak to watch as the shadows consumed the diamonds on the roof, blotting them out like candles and as the darkness swooped in, bringing with it an empty chill, leaving the once warm and lively chamber feeling empty and dead.

He curled up into a ball, pulling his tails around his body. This wasn't happening, this wasn't the way he planned it. All he wanted was to become a Pokémon. He never wanted his mother to get involved or to make her worry. Could anybody blame him for what he did?

Tears build up as the voice of his mother echoed in his head. Now he was alone, and because of him, so was his mother. Maybe the Ninetales was right, how could he love his mother when it was easy for him to abandon her.

He felt sick. More with himself than anything else, and the pit of his stomach ached with pain and guilt.

He caught a glint of light out the corner of his eye and lifted his head up slightly to see. Pushing himself on his paws he scanned the chamber and a sigh escaped his mouth when he spotted the toy Vulpix by one of the walls.

Stepping off the platform, he made his way towards it and once by its side, he rested his back against the stone wall and lay down next to the toy.

Hours seemed to pass as they sat together. Without the Ninetales aura the chamber was lifeless. He noticed how alone and cold the toy seemed in the sand, so he picked it up with his mouth and placed it in between him and his tails. He smiled. It seemed a lot more comfy there.

"Hay Vulpix" he said. "I understand if you don't want to talk to me. I just wanted to let you know you were right about everything. I shouldn't have been so selfish."

The toy didn't reply.

He let out a huff which kicked up a small cloud of dust. "If I could go back and stop myself from touching the Ninetales, I would. I've ruined my life and my mother's too."

He buried his head under his paws, trickle of tears dripped freely from his cheeks. He tried to wipe them away but more would take its place. "I abandoned her and that's exactly what's happen to me. I deserve this."

"Yes, you do."

Izaak's lifted his head, at first he expected to see the Ninetales but he realizes it was Vulpix. Using his paw he slid the toy in front of him, its warm smile still lingering on its face.

"But are you sorry?"

"Yes" he answered.

"So you know it's your fault that you are stuck down here?"

"Yes, I don't blame the Ninetales for what she did to me, but my mother… I just don't want my mother to suffer for my mistake."

There was a pause while the toy Vulpix considered his answer. "Ok, I can change you back, but I need you to promise me, that you will always remember this night, and the lesson the Ninetales has shown you."

Izaak brought the Vulpix closer to his face, gazing deep into its solid eyes.

"I promise."

"Good, now close your eyes and leave the rest up to me."

Once Izaak had closed his eyes as tight as he could, on silent paws the Ninetales emerged from the shadows, her winter white fur illuminating the darkness with the blazing heat from her aura, which in turn restored the dead chamber to its former glory. Once again did the diamonds glisten and once again did her golden throne burn with pride.

Izaak could feel the change and the warmth that spread throughout the chamber like wildfire, but he kept his eyes shut as the Ninetales strode towards him. She studied Izaak with a little smirk and then she turned her attention to the toy.

The Ninetales kneeled down and kissed it on the head, leaving behind a white mark which was the same as her fur. She then stood back, and with a deep breath she covered them both in azure flames.

Izaak could feel the warm kiss of the inferno as it lulled him into a sleep that was as deep as any ocean and as heavy as any mountain. He was useless to resist the flames call as it pulled him into its embrace and out of the dream.

When he woke, it was to the tweet of birds as they sung their morning melody to the trees they nested in. He rubbed his tired eyes and winced away from the newly rising sun's light as it climbed above the treetops, carrying with it much needed warmth to the forest floor.

He sat up and took in his surroundings. He was back outside, beside the oak tree were he first sighted the will-o-whip. The dew covered grass was still drenched from last night's storm, yet to Izaak it had never looked greener, he also noticed two curious butterflies fly overhead, inspecting the new object that had found his way into their forest.

One brave butterfly swooped down onto his nose calming it for its own, when he went to swipe it away he almost fell over backwards in shock.

Instead of a paw, he had a hand. He had returned to normal, he even had his damp grey school uniform on, but he had ripped them in the mists of his transformation. Did the Ninetales do this? He also found his rucksack resting against the tree, and he began to wonder if the Ninetales really drag him and his bag up here, or was it just a dream?

When he pushed himself up onto his feet he had to hold onto the trunk of the tree while he let his legs get use to standing on two feet again. Beams of sunlight filtered through the trees like spotlight on a stage, he could have easily stayed under the shadow of the oak tree, if only to watch the day go by, but he still had something to fix.

"Mam!" he yelled, praying that she was still nearby.

He listened for her return call and to his joy it came.

"Izaak! Where are you?"

She sounded close, he was about to call again but she came around the trees faster than he had ever seen her move. When she reached him, he was enveloped in the tightest of hug and she kissed him all over his face.

"Mam I'm fine." He smirked.

She smiled and wrapped him into another tight hug. "I was so worried about you."

"I'm sorry I ran away." He sniffed, the tears returning.

But she shook her head. "I'm the one that should be sorry. I saw how upset you were and still didn't act." She brought him out of the embrace and kissed him of the forehead once more. "I won't put you through this again, I'm moving away and I'm taking you with me. We are going to move far away from that horrible place."

Izaak's mouth stopped working and his legs felt like they were about to crumble, his heart fluttered like the butterflies that still swooped around them. This was too good to be true.

His mother held out her hand and Izaak took it, this was the start of their new life.

They had only taken a few steps from under the shadow of the oak tree when Izaak left go of his mother's hand.

"Wait mam, I need to get my stuff."

He ran off back to the tree while his mother waited behind for him. He picked up his rucksack and slung it over his shoulders then started to look for Vuplix, but he couldn't find it. He checked inside his rucksack, along the grass where he had woken up and even around the tree but no sigh of the Pokémon showed itself.

Then he found something else. Sitting upon a sun kissed stone, with one solitary beam of pure light, illuminating its white fur and nine branching tails. Its blood red eyes shining like diamonds and its familiar never moving, ever warm smile still etch across its face was Vulpix. His one true friend, his Vulpix had evolved into the majestic Ninetales that sat before him.


End file.
